Following the news that popular physio Ross Goodwin is set to move north of the border, we spoke to boss Paul Simpson about what happens next in terms of filling that vacant slot in his backroom staff.
“It’s one we want resolved quickly now we know that Ross is moving on,” he confirmed. “It’s inevitable that when you’re at a club like ours and you have good people, other clubs could well come along and try to take them away.
“They’ve made him an offer he can’t refuse, and it’s an offer that we can’t match here at our club. Good luck to him.
“He has a family that he’s got to look after and I totally respect that. He’s been brilliant for me, he’s got an incredible work ethic, and he’s really professional in the way he goes about things.
“He’s very good at his job, and the challenge for us now is to find a replacement who is equally as good, or maybe somebody with the potential to do that.
“I’ve got to say, we’ve had a couple of applicants so far who look really promising. I hope we’ll be interviewing next week for that role, and the sooner we can make a decision and whoever we can bring in can serve their notice at where they are, the better it is all round for everyone.”
Similar to bringing in a player, he spoke about the need to make sure it’s the right type of character who takes up the post.
“We have to do character checks as far as I’m concerned,” told us. “Firstly they’ve got to understand what the role involves when it comes to being a first-team physio.
“It isn’t a 9-5 job in any way. You can’t expect to work four days a week, it’s a flipping hard job. There are times when I’ll be working from home, or enjoying a day off, and Ross is in here with the injured players.
“He checks in with them on a Sunday, sometimes he’s in then as well, so you could describe it as almost being a job that takes up all seven days every week.
“Maybe you aren’t in the building every day, but you’re constantly monitoring players and finding out where they are. Somebody who understands the job is vital, and somebody who has the experience and qualifications is also obviously important.
“Then personality comes into it as well. I do think that if you’ve got somebody who has worked in a professional sport environment – men’s football, women’s football, men’s cricket, women’s cricket, rugby for both, whatever – they understand the hours that are required.
“I don’t think anybody would apply for the job if they didn’t think they could take that on. We have had a couple of really strong applicants and I hope we’ll be talking to them next week.
“Ross has said he’ll help with that, because he wants to leave the club in a good place, and that doesn’t surprise me about him at all. It’s how he is. From there we hope to have an appointment made as soon as possible.”
“It is a shame to lose him, but I completely understand,” he continued. “I’ve been really impressed with him since I came back to the club. First of all he’s a really good bloke, that’s a great start.
“He’s been tested so far this season with the number of injuries we’ve had, but he’s never moaned. He’s just absolutely dedicated.
“He’s got a three-month notice period, but it depends how soon we can get a replacement. Now the decision has been made, without him wishing to run off as quickly as he possibly can, he’d like to get started in his new role as soon as he can.
“But we have to find the right replacement for him. The strong candidates we’ve had so far are employed in jobs at the moment, so they will have a notice period. I don’t know what that period is at this moment. We’ll get it done as soon as is feasibly possible.”
Any vacancy in that department is bound to raise questions about the previous incumbent, who worked with the manager during his first stint at the club.
“Well, I don’t need to ring Dolly, he comes in for a coffee most weeks,” he revealed. “We have to do it the right way. It’s the way employment law is. It has to be advertised, which it has been.
“The closing date is Monday I believe and we’ll be interviewing soon after. If anybody wants the job, and that includes Dolly, they have to go through the right and proper channels by applying for the role.
“They’ll all be considered and we’ll break it down to a shortlist. Looking at what we’ve had, it is a short list at the moment of fully qualified people. So we’ll see come Monday and then assess it from there.”